The following are minimum requirements all researchers must meet for IBC approval of their biosafety protocols at UWM for work in Biosafety Level 2 Laboratories.
Education and Training
- Principal investigator must have either the adequate education or training for work being proposed. If this is not met, then they must co-PI for initial approval with a faculty member that has met these requirements.
- All personnel, including the PI, must complete biosafety training and lab safety/ chemical hygiene plan training prior to approval. Additional trainings are are dependent on project type.
- The PI is responsible for providing the necessary training to their personnel prior to their commencing the experiments in the lab.
- The PI should communicate if there are any risks to personnel, including if there are greater risks due to immunocompromised status. Personnel are responsible for considering these risks, communicating them with their health care provider, and determining the steps necessary to protect themselves.
Personal Protective Equipment
- Appropriate attire is required: long pants or long garment that covers legs entirely, shoes that cover the entire foot. Long hair must be pulled back.
- Lab coats/ gowns must be worn.
- Safety glasses are required and splash goggles are required when splash risks are present.
- Disposable gloves are to be worn when working in the lab. Gloves are not permitted to be reused.
Laboratory Practices
- Infectious material used in procedures with a potential for creating aerosols or splashes, or used in high concentrations or large volumes, must be handled in an annually certified biosafety cabinet.
- The lab must have a current biosafety inspection and laboratory inspection record with any corrective actions remediated prior to approval.
- Laboratories remain locked at all times. The door is a self-closing door and any interior doors leading to other labs remain locked.
- A biosafety level 2 door sign must be posted at the entrance doors, communicating entry/ exit requirements. Biological hazards must be posted on inside of entry/ exit door inside the lab so personnel can read about the hazards prior to working in the lab. Do not post information facing a public hallway.
- All work involving the approved materials may be performed on open bench tops following standard microbiological practices as provided by the BMBL and the NIH Guidelines for Biosafety Level 2 containment.
- Minimize use of sharps when possible. These may include scalpels, needles, and glass pipettes.
- In the event sharps must be employed, use safer sharps and dispose of them immediately after use in an approved sharps container.
- Minimize the creation of splashes and/or aerosols.
- Disinfect all work surfaces regularly after work with an EPA- registered disinfectant approved for use against the biohazardous materials being handled.
- A spill plan must be in place for any rDNA or biohazardous materials handled and a biohazard spill kit must be available in-lab for all personnel.
- Decontamination of waste is required. Liquid cultures, stocks, etc. must be decontaminated prior to disposal into the lab sink. All solid waste must be stored in biohazard bags in covered biohazard containers and decontaminated in an approved means prior to disposal.
- A designated sink for handwashing is available (preferably near the exit door) with soap and paper towel available, with hand washing instructions posted. Personnel must wash their hands prior to exiting the laboratory.
- Absolutely no eating, drinking, applying cosmetics, handling contact lenses, or storing of food for human consumption is allowed in the lab.
- All lab furniture must be able to be appropriately cleaned. No fabric chairs, carpets or rugs.
- Decontaminate all lab equipment must regularly.
- Animals and plants not associated with lab experiments are not permitted in the lab.
Documentation
- A Biosafety Level 2 Lab-Specific Biosafety Manual must be available in the lab.
- A lab-specific training record should be available in the lab.
- Any necessary SOPs are readily available in the lab.
- A copy of the biosafety protocol and the approval letter must be available in the lab.